Ginger heads all but a few
by JustAnotherMadHatter
Summary: A series of short drabbles revolving around the next generation kids; one chapter per character, one-shots soon to follow.
1. James Sirius Potter

**These will be posted in random order… hope you enjoy.**

**James Sirius Potter**

James absolutely loathes the fact that he looks so much like his mother and most of his cousins: red hair that he wears longer than what his grandmother considers "decent", a bunch of freckles on his nose and warm chocolate eyes framed by long lashes. It isn't that he doesn't look good or anything, but honestly, which guy wants to resemble his mum when his father is Harry Potter? And of course, if that wasn't bad enough already, little Albus just had to come out as a carbon copy of their dad. That way, when they're both walking outside in the streets of London, Al is always the first to get asked for a picture or an autograph. If James wasn't there standing besides his little brother, people wouldn't even notice he was a Potter himself. And Al doesn't like the attention since he's so shy; it makes James sick just to think about it. Honestly, where's the justice?

James is the first boy to make his way into the Weasley-Potter cousins clan, if you don't count Teddy; he is born a little less than a year after Dominique, a couple of weeks before Roxy and Fred, a year before his little brother Albus. He becomes rapidly adored by his grandparents, Aunts and Uncles, and especially by both his parents since he's their first born. His father teaches him how to ride a broom almost as soon as he can walk.

The first time James notices something weird about the way that people look at his dad is when he is seven and the three of them go to see Uncle George at his joke shop in London while Al and Lils stay at their grandparents'. James loves going to the shop because it's nothing like the old, gloomy book store his mum takes him to often, where you get scolded as soon as you lay a finger on anything and where you don't even dare breathe for fear of attracting attention to yourself. No, Uncle George's shop is very different from this: for the first part, it's lit in a bunch of colors that make it look like it's Christmas day everyday. There's also always loud and lively music playing from muggle speakers that Granddad fixed in the broom shed the previous year. And, finally, the shop is filled with wickedly fun and crazy stuff, like fireworks or dungbombs that James' mum won't let him buy even when he begs.

This particular day, when the three Potters come into the shop, people get kind of quiet, they point at his dad's face and whisper among themselves. Some even step forward and start applauding for no reason at all, others takes their hats off and practically bow and women rush forward to get an autograph. This time is worst than usual, maybe because the three of them are in George's shop, or maybe James is older now and just finds it unusual all of the sudden. His mum holds his hand and drags him a few steps backwards; James watches the crowd in front of him in wonder. At home, later that day, he tugs on his father's sleeve as Harry is putting Lily in her crib.

"How come people act like that around you all the time?"

But his dad only whispers that he'll tell him when he's older. Stubborn, James tells Roxy and Fred that they've got to figure out what's so special about Harry Potter; their resolve is reinforced when they realize that, by the way Dom looks down at them with malicious eyes, she clearly knows the big secret.

They aren't able to get a straight answer from their parents and grandparents, but before they can move on to a wider berth of targets, Harry decides that now might be the time to tell them; and that is how James learns that his father pretty much saved the entire wizard world when he was only seventeen.

As he grows up and understands more and more what the true meaning of this statement is, James starts to absolutely worship his father; he tries to imitate everything about him. The way he holds his wand, his voice, how he walks, rigid and fast like he's trying to flee the spotlight as soon as humanly possible, the way he must have said the final spell that summer morning when he killed Voldemort. He wishes he'd been there, fighting alongside his father, becoming a hero himself; born earlier so he could have participated in the war against evil wizards, showing off his battles skills, impressing girls, being someone extraordinary. If only he could've been born in a time that would've showed to the rest of the world his true potential.

At ten, James is a big fan of his grandfather's war stories, always sitting up front whenever granddad gets all serious and starts talking about darker times. Only, James isn't interested in the way his cousins are; he doesn't listen the way Roxy does, sitting still and quietly for once, chewing her lip off as she listens to some of the death eaters' most horrible actions; or like Rose or Lily, who always end up getting tears in their eyes before the stories are even over; or even like Al or Fred, who both get very pale in the face and look like they would gladly flee the room if they could. No, James listens with eagerness, bouncing up and down, interrupting his granddad with random questions, asking for more details whenever the story gets interesting (or particularly terrible), while the others stare at him in bewilderment, and on Rose's part, utter disgust.

"You aren't being respectful." She tells him one day, and he tells her to sod off, mostly because he doesn't understand what she means. The war is fun, exciting; James doesn't see how his attitude could possibly look inappropriate. He flexes his muscles and tells his cousins that he would would've loved to give the death eaters a piece of his mind. Dom grimaces at him.

"Shut up, James," she snaps at him, "you have no idea what you're talking about." Dom's first year at Hogwarts has just ended and she's already acting like she's a know-it-all when she's around her younger cousins, as if they didn't get enough of that from Rose already. Just because she has History of magic classes now doesn't mean she gets more out of the war stories than James does.

When summer ends, James, Roxy and Fred all leave for their first year at Hogwarts, and James gets sorted into Gryffindor, exactly like he'd hoped he would. He loves going to school and getting to spend time with his friends and cousins, living away from home, feeling like he's a real grown-up. He starts acting like he is his father when he was younger, making sure his hair looks messed up whenever he's around other people, boasting about his wartime knowledge, starting fights with whichever Slytherin crosses his path. He feels like he's all-powerful and loves the way other kids look at him with admiration in their eyes although he's one of the youngest students at school; he really enjoys the attention his surname and gloating attitude bring him.

Everything goes smoothly… until Memorial Day.

Memorial Day comes around once a year on October 19th, and this year will be James' first time attending the memorial ceremony organized at Hogwarts. And it isn't when he sees all the names craved into the white marble of the war memorial, or the hysterical tears of some of the students around him when the names are being read, or even the deathly silence that falls on the crowd when the minute of silence is requested that James finally gets it.

It's when he sees Teddy sob like a big baby that he understands.

Teddy is his father's godson and James' hero, the man he looks up to, the guy he admires most after his dad. Teddy has been constantly coming to their house for as long as James can remember; even if he doesn't actually live at home with them, he is their closest almost-relative. He's cool beyond belief, because he's awfully nice and fun, and if it wasn't for his disastrous balance he could actually be considered the perfect guy. Well, at least that's what Vic always says before she leans forward to kiss him and all of the kids run out of the room, covering their eyes and crying out in mock-pain.

And here is Teddy, who's technically out of school and currently in training to become an auror, coming back to Hogwarts for memorial day and sobbing his heart out in front of a huge crowd. To James, this is crazy and incomprehensible behaviour (which guy cries on memorial day, honestly?) and he must look more confused than usual because Dom leans forward from beside him and pinches his arm to get his attention.

"Teddy's parents were killed in the war," she whispers severely. "Do you still find that funny, then?"

And all of the sudden, he doesn't anymore… all because the toughest guy he knows is suddenly breaking down in front of his eyes like a huge cry-baby. And the names of his father's parents, his grandparents, his sister's namesake and his own, seem to be jumping out of the marble stone and attracting his gaze like a huge neon sign.

The more he thinks about it, reads books on the subject and talks to people who actually survived the war, James starts to understand how lucky he is to have escaped it all, how lucky he is that some people like his grandparents or Teddy's mum and dad were willing to risk their lives so he could live in a peaceful world.

And he knows, in the pit of his stomach, that he could never have been as brave as they were, standing directly in front of the ones they loved, welcoming death if it meant that they could keep their families and children safe.

When his father sees him during the next holydays at Christmas, he looks at him with a sad smile tugging at his lips, messing up his hair a little and saying that it seems as though James' head has deflated a bit. His son doesn't really understand what he means, but his father's gaze looks lost far away when he says this, like it always does whenever he's thinking about the past. James nods and silently promises himself that he isn't going to let himself act in a way that makes him seem arrogant or conceited anymore. From this day on, he is going to make himself realize what he has the chance to have, parents he loves to death, siblings he sometimes manages to get along with, a peaceful world to grow up in. He is finally going to honour the sacrifices made by the people who came before him and gave their lives for him, and regularly take the time to thank the Heavens for the courage they had and the small treasures they left him.

**oOo**

James is twelve and standing in front of his grandparents' graves in Godric's Hollow, his hand clutching his dad's as they both stare down at the words engraved in the stone.

"I would've have really wanted you to know them," his dad whispers, breaking the long silence. "They were amazing people."

James nods and clears his throat. "I know they were."

The wind blows the red and golden leaves from the treetops. It's October 19th and James doesn't even feel ashamed when a tear leaves a wet, shiny trail on his cheek.

**oOo**

_**Please review!**_


	2. Louis Weasley

**Louis Weasley**

Louis is the most handsome of them all, no questions asked. Maybe it's because of the way his freckles look almost golden on his tanned cheeks, like tiny specks of sunshine illuminating his features. Maybe it's the too long and so pale it's almost see-through blond hair that constantly falls in front of his eyes, making him look like a sexy rebel in serious need of a haircut. Or maybe it's because of the baby blue eyes that soften his sharp features, his too long nose and angular face. In any case, Louis is, as stated by all of Hogwarts' female students (except for the ones who are a part of his family, they'd never admit anything of the sort), "completely drop-dead gorgeous" and he, like his sister Dominique, is more than acutely aware of it.

Oh yeah. He loves it.

Ever since he's been little, people have been telling him how good-looking he is, but he never puts much thought on it, even getting a little annoyed when his multitude Aunts constantly feel the need to reach forward and sweep his hair out of his eyes. But when Louis starts attending Hogwarts, he truly realizes just how much power his utter hotness gives him.

In fifth year, Louis is already the most popular guy in the entire school, even if he's a Slytherin and supposed to be mortal enemies with all of the other houses. It's true that the fact that he's got at least one family member in each house and that his last name is Weasley has a lot to do with him not getting labeled as an evil dark lord in the making, even if he does belong to the snake's clan.

He has an enormous group of friends who adore him and love to be a part of the "in clique"; people are always laughing at his jokes, girls are looking up at him, batting their eyelashes and smiling in a flirty way, guys hate him because of the attention he gets but also can't help but envy him and admire his attitude.

He's cool beyond belief, simple as that.

School bores him to death; he'd rather be snogging his latest girlfriend in a broom closet than be forced to attend yet another History of Magic class of learning about how his family pretty much saved the world. Like he's never heard _tha_t story before. Yawn.

Although he'd be totally lying if he said he doesn't like the extra-attention his last name brings him; in fact, Louis may be the one who enjoys the celebrity the most out of all of the Weasley-Potter kids. He's always the first one to step forward whenever somebody asks them for an autograph, the only guy who actually likes giving interviews. He has a way of dazzling the reporters and photographers that makes his interventions in the Daily Prophet and various speeches unforgettable; Louis just has that attractive quality to him, not unlike his two older sisters. He figures it's probably something that the three of them inherited from their mother's vela genes. It also explains why his cousins put up with his snobby attitude; he might be arrogant as hell, but he's still friendly and simply likeable to all of them. Even Rose, who absolutely hates the way he talks about girls in general, can't help but enjoy his company when he sometimes detaches himself from his group of friends to talk to the rest of his family.

He doesn't snob his family, not really; but the truth is that he prefers spending time with his friends than hanging out with his cousins. He knows that the lot of them like to have breakfast and dinner together sometimes, despite the fact that they're all scattered in different houses. Louis doesn't like to participate in these family meetings though, because honestly, what could be more annoying than planning the next holydays or sharing the letters each of them got from their respective parents?

It isn't that he doesn't love his cousins; he does, although he's not as straightforward about it as Hugo is, but in his opinion, school time shouldn't be mixed with family time. Sometimes he feels like he enjoys their company more when he doesn't see them often. Besides, the cousins often fight among themselves, especially when Louis is involved: the fact is that he is pretty hot headed and can get very angry very quickly. He can go to being all calm and collected to furious in a moment, and the littlest things can flare up his temper in a very unpredictable manner.

One day, he gets very angry with Lily because she bumped into him in the hallway and made his book-bag fall, breaking an inkbottle and getting it to ruin all of the parchments that he was carrying inside the bag. Lily is quite a little thing, all small and skinny, and always alone for some reason, but that doesn't stop him from shouting at her, his voice loud in the crowded hallway. He's ashamed of the way she's made him look like a fool in front of his friends and finds it quite pleasant when she turns very red and stays frozen in front of him, unable to get a word in as he rants on and on about her usual clumsiness, loud enough for everyone to hear him. He doesn't even stop when her lower lip starts to tremble and her eyes fill with tears, not until Rose steps out of the watching crowd and steps directly in front of him, eyes shining and furious.

"That's enough, Louis!" she yells. "Cut it out!" From the corner of his eyes, he can see Molly going to take Lily's hand and dragging her away from the scene. The small black-haired girl is crying silently and he suddenly feels very bad about what he's just done. But he just snorts and laughs mockingly at Rose; in no way is he going to show any weakness in front of his friends. Rose's eyes narrow to slits and Lucy steps forward as well, looking like she would gladly hit him in the gut, to take Rose's hand and pull her back.

"Just leave it, he's a jerk." And they both walk away from the scene, standing tall and ignoring the jibes his friends are hurling their way. But Louis feels bad, for some reason, although he doesn't see how he could've acted any differently; doesn't his family see that he can't be the fun and loving cousin all the time, and especially not when he's in front of his friends? They're all just so clueless, not caring that he's got a reputation to keep. Girls.

Later that day, after getting chewed out by Albus, Dom and especially James (and ignoring them all completely), he goes to the library and comes face to face with Lily, who's reading a heavy manuscript in a corner and hiding behind her long hair, sitting cross-legged on the floor. He steps towards her and, seeing as there isn't anyone worth putting on an act for in a ten meter radius (well, this is the library after all), he sits down against the wall and clears his throat silently. She jumps a little and when her eyes meet his, he can't help but squirm a little uncomfortably under her accusing gaze.

"Alright," he whispers quickly, "I shouldn't have acted the way I did. I'm sorry."

She doesn't answer, doesn't even blink. He sighs in frustration.

"Lily, they were people there, ok? I couldn't just coddle you and tell you everything was alright in front of my friends."

"You didn't have to be so mean." Merlin, the girl can speak after all! Her voice is as tiny as her hands, which are clutching one another nervously on her lap. But she is right.

"I know. I just…" He doesn't know how to finish his thought. Why did he do it really?

"…wanted to be cool in front of everybody?" she supplies helpfully, raising an eyebrow. "I think you're cool when you're with us, Lou. You know, when you're being yourself, not mean or sarcastic and all."

Ha! The girl has no idea what she's talking about.

"Thanks," he whispers, somehow managing not to roll his eyes. It's been a long time since anyone's called him Lou; makes him miss home for some reason. "I'm sorry Lils, really." It's important that she gets that so he can relieve his conscience; it hasn't been giving him a break ever since the big scene in the hallway a couple of hours ago.

"I forgive you." She says simply and quietly, lifting his spirits a little.

"Then stop crying, ok? Maybe that'll get those big brothers of yours off my back." He smiles at her and impulsively leans forward and hugs his younger cousin, quickly letting go and stepping away, suddenly self-conscious. A quick look around him to make sure nobody's watching and he turns back towards her to see that she's looking at him a bit sadly.

"It's too bad you can't be popular and nice at the same time, huh Lou?" she says quietly and turns back to her book without waiting for an answer. Louis leaves the library, a million questions turning in his head, wondering how it's possible that he may actually feel more confused now than he did before when he came to sort things out with Lily. He groans quietly; she forgave him, no use in still feeling guilty! But he can't shake the image of him making her cry in the hallway earlier.

The next day, at breakfast, Lily receives a huge box of Honeydukes' chocolate at breakfast. There are a couple of words written on a card inside the package.

_Yeah, it is._

If it was possible to be cool and nice at the same time, Louis likes to think that he would've signed the note.

oOo

_**Please review!**_


	3. Lily Luna Potter

**Lily Luna Potter**

Lily is too small. So small everyone's gaze simply passes over her without stopping or getting interested. So small that most of the time, people aren't even aware of her presence in a room. So small that she's sure that if she were to curl into a tight ball and keep quiet she would disappear. Poof! Vanished Lily.

Skinny arms, skinny legs, pale skin that makes her seem sick and that looks even whiter next to her jet black straight hair. Thin, chapped off lips that she keeps chewing on; pale, washed out brown eyes that are nowhere near as pretty as James' or her mum's; bruised fingertips and nails that she nibbles on all the time; and a small, always much too small frame.

She's quiet too, which is the worst possible trait one can associate to a small person; now the girl might just as well not be there at all.

Hogwarts and Hufflepuff, to nobody's surprise. Lucy nudges her roughly on the first day of school, breathing bubble-gum breath in her face as she laughs at one of her friends' jokes.

"Talk!" she orders, voice higher than usual with excitement, "or people will think that you're weird."

Wrong, Lily would like to point out. People don't see me, so no one will be freaked out if they don't hear me either. The words get stuck in her throat, like always. But Lucy is already gone anyway, skipping after her mates.

Lucy is cool; she always speaks her mind and she's brave and sly too. She's in Slytherin like Louis, and people always think that Lily is the youngest of the family, not Lucy; she's stopped trying to deny it because it's no use since Lucy encourages the rumour.

Lucy's a bully too; Hugo is nicer and more of a friend, even if he got sent to Gryffindor.

She wishes they could see each other more, but he's got his friends and has other things to do than hang out with his shy little cousin. So Lily is always alone, except for those days when Dom takes the time to come and see her and they hang out a little. Dom is awesome, and being the second oldest, is like everyone's mum when they're at school. Most times, they go to the kitchens (Roxy showed them the way) and drink hot cocoa in silence, smiling at one another. Everyone always goes to Dom when they have problems, and she always drops whatever she's doing to help; it seems as though she doesn't have anything troubling her herself. Lily loves her to death.

But when she starts fourth year, Dom leaves and goes to France to be with her mother's family.

And Lily is finally all alone.

Hugo is busy, Lucy is too cool to be with her, Molly is always caught up in a book. Rose has Scorpius totally hung over her and Al is perfecting Quidditch moves. Fred is preparing for exams and Roxy is sneaking into the forbidden forest; James is being popular and making all the girls swoon. And then there's Lou.

The others are convinced Louis has turned into an asshole. Lily doesn't; she likes him, maybe because the two were really close when they were kids. Of course, things changed once they both left for school, but she believes there's still the small, friendly boy who used to help her pick seashells outside his parents' cottage inside that big popular blond jerk. Hopefully.

But Lou doesn't spend time with Lily at school, except when they run into each other in the library and both take some time to catch up; but these kinds of moments seem to happen less and less as they grow older.

Dom is gone. The others are busy. She's alone; always alone.

Nobody sees her; nobody speaks to her, especially not her cousins. They are all too caught up in their eventful lives to notice her.

And, suddenly, she doesn't feel well. Something is eating at her; the magazines she sees other girls read, with the magnificent witches on the cover; the makeup everyone is suddenly wearing in fourth year; how they all look pretty and happy and have boyfriends. And Lily feels left out, a freak.

She wants to talk to someone about it.

She tries to get their attention, but speaking up when they're all yelling and laughing at one another is becoming harder and harder to do.

"James?" she hates how her voice is all high and quiet and _weak_. "Can I talk to you?" He runs straight past her, barely sparing her a glance.

"Later-gotta-go-see-you!" and then he laughs because the guy chasing him just tripped on the stairs.

"Al?" He is bent over a miniature Quidditch field, moving little players with the tip of his wand, eyebrows furrowed in concentration.

"Not now, Lily."

"But I just wanted-"

"_Not_ now."

She wishes she could press a pause-button and get up to scream in their ears as they stand, immobile, silent, the sneers plastered on their frozen faces. But would they even listen then?

She feels confused. Something is building inside her and keeping it pressed against her heart seems to only be making it worse. She picks up her pencil and starts sketching a random face; drawing has always worked as far as getting her emotions out.

But she's unable to do it this time; it doesn't work anymore.

She rips up all of the drawings she's made at school and keeps tucked away safely inside her trunk. She opens the window and watches as the little white pieces of paper sway in the breeze, falling softly to the ground like feathers.

She tries writing a letter to Dom, but it's like something is choking her and the words just won't come out.

The adults wouldn't understand. They barely notice something's wrong, even though she's stopped writing home.

"Freak," a girl sneers, bumping her on the shoulder in the hallway, making her books tumble down from her arms. A guy steps on her hand as she struggles to retrieve her stuff. He just laughs and Lily bits her lip to keep from sobbing.

"Rose?" The brown-haired girl giggles at something Scorpius just said and bats her eyelashes at him. She doesn't answer, doesn't give any sign she's even heard her name coming out of Lily's mouth like a plea.

Maybe she doesn't even exist; that would make sense. Maybe people can't see her or hear her and she's just like a ghost, floating in front of them, their gazes going straight through her, piercing her skin, not noticing the damage they're doing.

She wants to scream out to the world. Something is pressing inside her skull, against her rib cage, desperate to come out, desperate to be heard, listened to, helped.

She has to get their attention, somehow. And if she can't speak out, she doesn't know how to make them notice her.

She's sitting near the lake on a December morning. Maybe, just maybe, if she stepped inside the frozen water and tried to drown, maybe they would remember her existence.

Or maybe they wouldn't even notice she was gone.

And so one day, she decides to stop eating.

She doesn't want to die; at least, she doesn't think so. She just wants them to look at her, really look at her, and see her, see how messed up she is, and try to make it better.

And if they still don't notice her after this, well then maybe she'll get so thin she'll simply vanish. That would be nice; an easy way out. Better than to continue living like this anyway.

She doesn't wear baggy sweaters or these kinds of things to hide they way her bones are suddenly sticking out from under her skin in sickeningly sharp angles. She doesn't wear makeup to conceal the bags under her eyes or the fact that her skin will soon be see through if it gets any more translucent. Her hair is flat and dirty and she doesn't care. She stops speaking altogether, waits for the day one of them realizes how bad she looks and takes her by the hand, telling her everything will be alright.

Hopefully this will happen before she truly, really disappears.

oOo

The Hufflepuff seeker broke her hand and Rogue, the captain, is marching towards Lily with fire in her eyes.

"Potter? You're Lily Potter, aren't you?" she barks in that brusque way of hers. Lily's chin slips from her cupped hand and she opens her eyes, squinting up at the older girl in surprise. Slowly, she nods, wondering what the hell this could be about and stifles a yawn behind her sleeve. She's constantly tired now.

"I need you to fill in for Alice tomorrow. That big brother of yours says you've got some skills on a broom. Think you can do it?"

Lily's eyes widen in surprise. Surely, the girl must be talking about James; from her slight blush, she's got to be his latest girlfriend, or something along those lines.

James told her she was a good Qudditch player.

Amazing. He remembers she exists.

Unsure of what she's doing, she nods, concerned the tall girl might clobber her if she refuses. Rogue's lips pull up in a half smile.

"Meet us at the locker room at five."

Lily's head falls forward on the table when she leaves. Her eyes close and she presses her cold hands together, not caring it's study hall right now and she's supposed to do her homework.

oOo

Lily feels as though she hasn't ridden a broom in forever. She holds the wooden handle tightly, stomach hollow, feet shuffling nervously, unsure of what she's supposed to do. Rogue is talking, but she doesn't listen, only wraps her scarf tightly around her neck and shivers under the many layers.

And now she's out on the field and watches as Al, who's both Ravenclaw's seeker and captain this year, claps Rogue's hand tightly in his own. The two teams rise gracefully into the air, yellow and blue mixing together in the chilly December air.

Louis is commenting the game, as always, because let's face it, he's too cool not to participate in Quidditch but too good-looking to risk messing up his beautiful features in a tragic flying accident.

He says her name and some point, but her ears are buzzing from the altitude and she doesn't get what it is he's saying about her.

At least he remembers her name.

She's cold, so cold. The faces looking up expectantly from under her are disorienting. She didn't eat anything today, or yesterday either.

It starts snowing as the game rages on. She stops flying around blindly to catch a snowflake into her freezing palm. It doesn't melt on her cold skin.

Things are swinging out of control. Louis' voice is far too exciting as he yells in her face. The crowd is too loud, the colors overwhelming. Lily doesn't remember what she's supposed to do up here. What do they all want from her?

She's tired and her surroundings are spinning around her. Slowly, defeated, she lays her forehead on her broom, closing her eyes, willing the disorientation to drift away. Instead, her hands slowly let go of the broom handle and she feels herself gently tipping forward. Her numb legs stop clutching the piece of wood. The wind blows harder than ever in her hair, on her face, inside her clothes, under her skin.

Lily sighs and lets herself fall.

She doesn't hear the horrified gasps of the crowd around her as they watch her plunge towards the ground, or Louis forgetting to sound cool and yelling her name in horror with his wand still pressed against his throat. She doesn't see Rose shoot up from her seat in the stands and point her wand at her, desperately racking her brains to find a spell that would slow the fall and coming up empty, or Fred's breathless gasp as he speeds her way, hoping to grab unto her, realizing he won't be fast enough. She doesn't realize that Roxanne has stopped breathing and that Hugo is clutching his girlfriend's arm so hard that she cries out, that Lucy is wailing like a baby and Molly mumbling incoherent spells under her breath, her hands clenching uselessly on her lap as she watches her cousin's fast descent.

But she does feel Al's arms wrapping around her, breaking the fall, gently lowering her to the ground, James' long fingers pushing a few strands of hair out of her eyes, cupping her cheek, pressing against her wrists.

The nurse's low voice, the bed sheets soft against her bare arms, her father's warm breath as he bends down to kiss her forehead, one of her mom's tears landing on her hand.

James' "God, you scared me. You have no idea."

Fred's "How about some Honeydukes' chocolate, then? That sound good?"

Roxy's "No classes for a week? Man, you're so lucky."

Al's "Maybe it's time I teach you how to really ride a broom, huh?"

Rose's "Need some help with that essay?"

Molly's "It's good, I promise; you should really read it."

Louis' "I'm never letting you out of my sight ever again. Now, finish the candy or I will."

Hugo's "Why didn't you say anything, Lily-bee?"

Lucy's "Can't you ever be careful? Christ."

Dom's letter.

Her parents' worried gazes.

And both their voices, soft and gentle, telling her everything will be alright from now on.

Finally.


	4. Fred Weasley II

**Fred Weasley II**

"You look so much like Fred did at your age!" his grandmother gasps whenever he walks in the Burrow's living room. Then she steps closer and messes up his hair a little, turns his face from side to side, stares at him with clouded eyes. She looks like she's trying very hard not to cry and finally leaves the room, clutching her wand so hard that her knuckles are white, choking on a sob. Granddad smiles at Fred sadly, pats him on the shoulder and goes after her, closing the door quietly on his way out. And Fred can't help but wonder what it is he's done wrong.

oOo

It's his dad's birthday and he's crying. When Fred gives him the picture he made at school that day, he doesn't take it, only stares at his son like he's seeing a ghost.

oOo

"You really look like him," Roxy's puzzled voice says from the spot where she's sitting cross-legged on the floor as she stares at the old picture albums. Fred moves closer and looks over her shoulder, frowning when he discovers a picture of his dad and twin, grinning identically side-by-side. They're waving at the photographer and shoving one another as both try to take up the entire free space in the little frame.

"Yeah," he replies slowly, "only I can't figure out if it's a good thing or not."

oOo

And then, one Christmas at the Borrow, they find some old fireworks in the attic. Roxy lights them up just under the Christmas tree and all but sets the house on fire at 3 am on December 25th. The twins are convinced that they're going to get chewed out by the parents, but Grandma has happy tears in her eyes as she stares at her second oldest grandson.

"Just like Fred would have done," she whispers, pulling him into a bear hug and sounding really happy, eyes lost some 20 years in the past. George grins too and messes up his son's hair. And Fred's "I didn't have anything to do with it, it was all Roxy's idea!" suddenly dies on his lips, all because it's the first time they've compared him to his dead uncle without looking grief-stricken.

This is when he realizes what he can do to make people look at him happily instead of sadly: he can be his Uncle reincarnated, make his dad, Aunts, Uncles and grandparents smile again. And so he does.

He invents stupid jokes, pulls idiotic pranks, makes people laugh simply by walking in a room. He even practises the art of twins talking at the same time with Roxy, but she gets bored of it pretty quickly and leaves him alone as he prepares to become the biggest prankster Hogwarts has ever known. He figures it doesn't matter if he feels like he's playing some kind of part; the only thing that does matter is the way the adults' eyes twinkle whenever he reminds them of his Uncle, the way his dad looks at him with pride. He enjoys making them happy, giving them their Fred back, in a way.

The only person who isn't fooled is his granddad.

He laughs along with the others, of course, but then stares at his grandson with a solemn expression, perhaps seeing that Fred tries a bit too hard sometimes. That he isn't totally being himself. He never confronts him directly, but his eyes speak enough by themselves; he sees right through Fred's act and doesn't enjoy it like the others do. It bothers Fred to realize this, because he loves his granddad to death and really wants to make him proud of him. Only, if he isn't proud of the I'm-actually-freakishly-similar-to-my-dad's-twin-act, he isn't sure of what he can give him to be proud of.

When he leaves for Hogwarts on his very first time, he knows by the way they're all looking at him that they're expecting exactly what he's going to try to pull off: becoming a prankster extraordinaire. He isn't about to let them down, although he would definitely be lying if he said that he didn't feel only the tiniest bit pressured.

And then the Sorting Hat calls out "Hufflepuff!" and it's like he can actually see all of his dreams and plans crash down in front of his eyes.

Rox and James get sent to Gryffindor and join all of the older Weasley cousins at the table. They wave at him a little sadly from the sea or red and golden scarves. He's never felt so alone in his entire life.

His grandfather is the first one he tells of the sorting, because he'll be the only one of the family who might not be disappointed in him for not going to Gryffindor. He sends back his answer so fast that Fred hasn't even finished clearing out his luggage when the owl taps on the window.

The letter says that Granddad is very glad that Fred got sent to Hufflepuff, where he'll meet many new friends. "Be yourself," the letter says at the end, "and make sure you have the time of your life at Hogwarts. Lots of love, granddad."

At first, he continues the well-practised act and rapidly gains a crowd of admirers who envy him his carefree attitude. And then he meets this girl, Caroline, who snaps at him to drop the foolish game when he mocks her for actually caring about homework.

"You care just as much as I do," she answers haughtily, flipping back her long auburn hair, "so sod off."

He's surprised when she figures him out so fast, especially when nobody in the family apart from granddad seems capable to do so. And, to everyone's surprise, he actually listens to the both of them.

He stops the stupid pranks and drops the jokes. He reads a lot and works because the truth is that he loves going to class. He laughs less at people, becomes more considerate, and even if his popularity level drops as quickly as it rose in the beginning, he feels good about himself. He's getting good marks and has an attitude that's entirely his; he's got friends that don't expect anything out of him except the truth. It's nice for a change, being able to please people only by being himself.

He doesn't know if he disappoints the rest of his family; he sure hopes he doesn't, but the truth is that he can't help being himself and not his father's twin.

When he gets the letter saying that he's been appointed prefect at the beginning of fifth year, his dad's eyes look pretty close to bulging out, and he looks more proud of his son than he has ever been, even more than when Fred used to pull off pranks worthy of his uncle. Plus, this time, Fred feels as though he actually deserves the congratulations everyone is giving him.

And he realizes he's made his family proud without having to pretend, just by being himself.

He's Fred Weasley II, but his own person entirely.

oOo

_**Thank you so much for all the nice reviews! I'm glad you guys are enjoying this so far. So, who would you like to read about next?**_


	5. Roxanne Weasley

**Roxanne Weasley**

Roxanne resembles her mother just as much as Fred, her twin brother, resembles their father. She has dark skin, lively, dancing dark eyes and brown hair that she crops off in a small bob because she doesn't have the patience or time to carefully brush it every single morning. She is quite small, smaller than all of her cousins once they've all reached their adult height.

Once, when she is four, she goes with her parents and brother to the Burrow for the weekend and she gets lost. The garden fascinates her belong belief and she decides to go out and explore the wilderness all around her. Fred is snoring next to her at naptime when she gets up and walks out the door, not telling anybody, ready to see as many things as she can. Three hours later, her granddad finds her asleep on one of the highest branches of the old willow in the backyard. He's so relieved that he doesn't even scold her for running away, only takes her to her parents who have been turning the furniture upside down in an effort to find the lost little girl. Her mum holds her to her chest, saying nothing, while her dad tells her that she's "never to do something like this ever again". Roxy doesn't even understand why they all look worried.

"You'll have to be careful with this one," her grandmother says, looking at her with affectionate eyes, "she's a wild one." Roxy silently hands her the daffodils she took the time to pick out for her on her small adventure in the garden and grandma pats her head gently.

Roxanne, like her grandmother so rightfully pointed out, is a wild girl; she doesn't feel better than when she's outside, surrounded by nature, especially when she's up in a tree, sitting above the ground, feeling like she is God looking down at her world. She's determined, curious and scared of nothing; when she's five, she jumps into the small pond near her parents' summerhouse and almost drowns. Dom, who sees her, goes and gets her parents so they can pull her out of the water.

"I just wanted to learn how to swim," she explains her father later that day, and he simply laughs and shakes his head like he just can't believe it.

At the age of seven, Roxanne sneaks out of the Burrow again, only this time it's Christmas day and the entire family is staying at her grandparents' for the holydays. She knows, unlike the last time, that she isn't supposed to be doing what she's about to do, but she can't help it: she just wants to learn how to fly so much, and her dad had to say she was too young. She is determined to prove him that he's wrong and that she is quite capable of doing it on her own. She goes into the garden when everyone is setting up the house for dinner and steals Vic's broom from the broom-shed. She sits on it and kicks off of the ground like she's watched Teddy do so many times when Uncle Harry was teaching him. Rapidly, she rises from the ground and above the trees; she's never felt freer in her life. She lets go of the broom handle and raises her arms high above her head, laughing in delight as the cold wind ruffles her short hair; she doesn't come home for a couple of hours and gets rightfully chewed out by the adults when she finally does. Aunt Hermione pinches Uncle Ron's arm because he gives her the thumbs up when he thinks nobody's watching. James is so jealous he doesn't speak to her for the rest of the day.

Roxy leaves for Hogwarts with the certainty that she's about to discover many new things, and she can't wait. She gets sent to Gryffindor, as expected, while Fred goes to Hufflepuff, much to everyone's surprised. She cries the entire first night because they've never slept in different rooms and she feels more alone than ever.

Roxanne is a distant girl; her best friends are her cousins, and she is especially close to her only brother, but the people that aren't part of her family do not interest her in the least. She doesn't have Dom's charismatic skills or James' recognized popularity; the problem isn't that she is shy, but that she simply doesn't care for other people. Roxanne is independent and figures she doesn't need many friends to enjoy life. Besides, other people, with their gossip and social gatherings, bore her to death.

So, instead of trying to make friends like most of the first years are doing, Roxanne wonders around the castle, reads books from the library, meets most of the portraits, tries to discover Hogwarts' well-hidden secrets. And that's how little Roxanne, by the end of second year, has already discovered all of the passageways and has made her way into Hogsmade four times; has found the room of requirement and made it one of her current hideouts, has stolen James' cloak numerous times to sneak to the Astronomy tower at night, has found the portrait that leads to the kitchen and has wandered several times into the forbidden forest on her own.

Roxy loves Hogwarts, the place that is slowly starting to become more of a home to her than her parents' house, but not the school rules; she hates going to class and having to study for tests. It just seems unnatural to her: taking tests isn't real, getting bad grades doesn't mean anything. What's real is the world of the unknown that sits patiently outside, waiting for the bell to ring so that Roxanne can go back to exploring it. Roxy feels like her wings are being cut whenever she has to sit in class and give up the freedom she cherishes so much. She hates it.

Everyday, she gets up really early in the morning to go down to the castle grounds and watch the sun rise up between the mountains, turning the sky a beautiful orange. Often, she takes her shoes off and marvels at the way the slightly wet grass bends back from underneath her feet.

In between classes, she grabs her broom and runs out into the field, flies until she feels drunken in freedom and then slowly, reluctantly, goes back inside to the dark hallways and black robes that makes her so sad. The sky never looks more inviting than when she stares at it longingly through the classroom window.

She figures that when she is finally of age, she'll leave it all behind and travel all around the world; maybe learn how to play the guitar, live in the wilderness on her own, meet people that will teach her to see the world in their own special way, embrace nature and live the way life is really supposed to be lived. She'll throw her wand away because she wants nothing more than to live in a natural way, and magic makes it all too falsely easy and wrong.

When she graduates, Fred is the only one whom she tells of her plans. He just nods sadly when she announces that she's about to leave and doesn't know if she'll ever come back. She kind of feels bad about leaving them all behind, making them worry, all of her cousins and best friends; Vicky, Fred, Dom, James, Al, Rosy, Lils, Molls, Lucy and Hugo. But she still feels, deep in her heart, that she just has to leave: because even her love for her family will never take her need for freedom away or ever manage to tame her unquenchable thirst of discovery.

**oOo**

_**I felt in made sense to put Roxy up right after Fred… Currently working on Albus and Victoire (like you guys requested) and on my other fic**_

_**Please review!**_


	6. Molly Weasley

**Molly Weasley**

Books are her life.

She loves the smell of the old, yellow and worn out pages with little dents on them, the way they feel under her fingers, soft and still hard and crispy when she turns them over very carefully. She particularly loves it when she's holding an old and heavy manuscript in her lap that she knows was hand-written; the letters with their perfect shapes, curves, embellishments drawn in ink completely mesmerize her. She likes to lean in, not to read the words but simply to look at them like one would contemplate a work of art. Because in her opinion, books are just amazingly beautiful that way.

They tell her she's off her rocker of course. Lucy, Louis, Al and the rest of them. Rose says she understands, but Molly doesn't think she does really; because Rose only reads to learn new things and maybe pass the time. It's different for Molly.

She is the odd ball of the family, or so she likes to think. She has problems speaking out and reaching towards other people; ever since she was a little girl, she's always been a loner, the girl that preferred to stay with the adults as they sipped tea while the kids went to play outside and figure out a way to break into the broom-shed (this particular kind of scenario happened quite often in her family). She was the baby who didn't speak until quite late, the toddler who was afraid of going to the playground because other kids, with their rough ways and shrill voices, scared her, she was the one who threw a tantrum on the first day of school because she didn't want to be left on her own.

Molly is the eldest kid of her family, which didn't make it any easier, as there wasn't anybody who could take her hand and guide her gently forward, understand her and reassure her when she most needed it. Her older cousins could've done that (and she has quite a few of those, too) but her parents lived far away from her uncles, aunts and grandparents for almost her entire childhood and they didn't visit the rest of the family often, so it simply wasn't possible. When her parents finally bought a house near the Burrow, Molly was nine and had a hard time integrating herself into the tight little knot that tied together her cousins; Lucy was better at it than she was, but then again, Lucy was always better at everything.

It wasn't that people didn't want to be friends with her, not really; Molly was just too shy to make the first step and finally felt herself being left behind as time passed. She naturally turned to books when she felt alone and pretty soon, she loved them so much that she didn't even want to leave the house anymore.

Her father was angry, she could tell. It seemed important to him that his eldest daughter be normal; he couldn't understand why she was so scared of other kids, why she couldn't simply be like the rest of them and play tag during recess with her classmates. Sometimes, he looked as though he might grab her by the shoulders and try to shake some sense into her, to make her more like Lucy, who fulfilled his every wishes as far as social life was concerned. It seems funny to her, now that she is older, knowing she inherited her father's people skills, because he wasn't much of a group person himself as a kid and teenager; but it also hurts to see how much he tried to change her, like he was simply dissatisfied by the way his daughter had turned out. Like she'd somehow let him down.

Like Fred, Molly gets sent to Hufflepuff when she starts her magical education; she can tell her dad is disappointed, although he would never say it to her face. She excels in every class, because, as James says, "the natural follow-up to the bookworm status is uncontestably the nerdy way of life". And then he grins and messes up her hair to show that he's only kidding.

Nevertheless, her cousin is quite right; Molly is a nerd with no social life, and she isn't afraid to admit it either. After all, it's the complete truth; she spends most of her evenings curled up on the common room sofa in front of the fireplace, reading (or most often rereading) a book, not caring if there's noise because she has a way of getting completely engulfed in the story and staying undisturbed by what is happening around her. Fred jokes that if someone was to start a fire and evacuate the entire common room, she wouldn't even notice. She has a couple of friends, mostly people she goes to classes with and who are in her year, but spends most of her free time either getting teased by her cousins, studying or going to bed early so she can snuggle under the covers to start reading yet again. She's happy that way and doesn't know why she should change the way she is; she isn't missing out on anything, or at least, she thinks she isn't.

Sometimes, she does notice that she is slowly getting the fundamental roles reversed; it's like real life is what is happening in the book she's currently reading, and the rest is just a haze and blur of faces and colors that don't mean anything. Her life starts again once she picks the book up once more, but her real life is becoming only the interlude in between stories; she can't help but wonder if perhaps this might be a bad thing.

Her cousins are worried, just like her dad is. Fred, who pretty much became her honorary big brother once she joined him in Hufflepuff, tries to make her come out of her shell, talk to new people, participate in events that she would never have been a part of before; Hogsmade visits, study groups, going to watch Quidditch games. Louis is a bit more direct:

"You're going to miss out on life if you keep your nose always stuffed in a book," he says bluntly one day, pulling on one of her curls as she reads while having breakfast with the Gryffindors. Rose scowls at him but he ignores her and leaves the Great Hall in a hurry (because Lou always seems to be in a hurry); she leans over the table towards her younger cousin and whispers:

"You know David, Scorpius' friend?" Molly nods but otherwise stays quiet; she doesn't like to speak when she can avoid it.

"He told me to ask you if you wanted to go to Hogsmade with him next Saturday."

Molly can feel her eyes get round and her heart speeding up. She sends a silent "Help me!" look to her female cousins who all laugh when they take in her expression.

"Don't worry," Dom says, smiling as one would smile at a newbie. "I'll do your hair and makeup, how's that?"

"I'll brief you in on what to do and how to do it," Rose says seriously like she's just been given a very important mission.

Roxy smiles and reaches over the table to touch the back of Molly's hand, grinning reassuringly. "Don't worry, it'll be great. David is really nice."

And so they all prep her and Molly has to pinch herself several time to make sure all of this is really happening to her and not to one of the characters in her many novels. Dom brushes her red curls and leaves them hanging gracefully on her shoulders when Molly always wears her hair in a messy bun so she doesn't get any strands falling over her eyes; she frames her blue eyes with long mascaraed lashes and puts a bit of gloss on her round lips.

She stands in front of Dom's full length mirror in the seventh year dorm and looks at her brand new plaid skirt, matching knee length socks and navy sweater, surprised to actually feel pretty for once; she doesn't even notice her freckled chubby cheeks behind the shinny perfect curls.

"Ready?" Rose prompts, already starting to push her out of door; Molly nods and her older cousin scowls.

"Remember what I said about talking, Molls?" The younger girl nods and clears her throat quietly, uncertainly.

"Yeah, talking. Ok." She says nervously, hand going up to her hair to pull on a curl like she always does whenever she feels awkward.

It turns out that David is a really nice boy with sandy blond hair and a gigantic smile that makes her want to grin back whenever he does. And as the two of them get closer, Molly starts making a list of things that David brings her that she would never have gotten from a book.

oOo

_The smell of sweet butterbeer breath when he leans closer to me to pull the Three Broomsticks' door open_

_Both of our laughs, soprano and bass, bubbling up together when he tells me the hilarious story about how he got his first owl_

_The way his gaze seems to attract mine even when I'm standing across the room from him_

_The fast beating of my heart when we sneak away from our respective common rooms to meet in the astronomy tower at midnight_

_The funny names he gives to random stars. His hot breath tickling my cheek when he leans closer to whisper in my ear _

_The warmth of his hand engulfing mine_

_The blush on his cheeks when he quickly pulls away_

_The warmth on my face whenever he looks at me _

_Dom's knowing smile_

_Fred's exasperated sigh and his gaze of utter amazement when I laugh at loud in the middle of dinner, not caring about who hears me and what they will think_

_Under my hand, on the base of his neck, the fast and irregular rhythm of his heart when he leans forward to kiss me for the first time_

_The excited, slightly eccentric feeling that comes with breaking the rules; almost like being intoxicated with too much life_

oOo

_**Please review!**_


	7. Rose Weasley

Rose Weasley

She once snatched a book from her mother's bookshelf that she wasn't supposed to read (she'd done it because James had dared her to); it had turned out to be some kind of philosophical essay that had bored her to death. She only understood one thing from the heavy manuscript; it said that people had so many facets to their personality that it was impossible for someone to know himself completely.

Rose's face looks so much like her mother's that it's almost scary; thank Merlin she inherited some of her father's traits that make her distinguishable from Hermione. Unfortunately, physical resemblance to Ron Weasley isn't something a girl would really want to wish for; that's how Rose ended up with a painfully long nose, carrot hair, freckles all over her face, and a tall frame that makes her tower over almost everyone everywhere. Thanks Dad.

Then again, she didn't end up with the things she'd have chosen from her mum either; the bushy hair is one thing, the big front teeth are another. Thanks Mum.

She wishes she'd have gotten the straight brown hair, and blue eyes her brother Hugo ended up with. But no, impossible. Honestly, it looks as though Merlin took her parents' worse physical traits and gave them all to her as a package deal.

Rose may look like her mum (the shape of her face at least), but once she opens her mouth and starts talking, people realize she isn't Hermione at all. Because Rose may have one of the most stubborn, pig-headed personalities out there; she also likes to be painfully honest and rebels against anything she finds unfair. She isn't afraid to speak her mind when she doesn't agree with the teacher (which has gotten her detention a great number of times) but, as her dad likes to say, she also inherited her mother's brains. This makes her one of the brightest students Hogwarts has ever known, but also a troublemaker in a way; she's thus truly one of a kind, according to her grandparents anyway.

Rose finds the statement she read from the stolen book to be totally true, because she doesn't assume to totally know herself or to understand all of her reactions. There's only one thing she's absolutely positively certain about concerning herself.

Rose Weasley absolutely loathes Scorpius Malfoy.

And it isn't because the blond boy may be one of the few boys who are actually taller than her and likes to look down at her with a sneer; it isn't because he's a Malfoy and most certainly a dark lord in the making; it isn't even that he's spent their entire childhood making fun of her unruly hair and big teeth.

No, it's only that the boy is a git, it's as simple as that.

"You only say that because he gets better marks than you do sometimes," Louis chides, severely pointing his fork at her when he joins them for dinner at the Ravenclaw table one evening that Scorpius and Albus are nowhere to be seen.

Yes, it is true that his capacity to charm every teacher out there is furiously annoying. His work is always perfect and handed back on time, and every time he gets a higher mark than her he turns towards her and smirks in that infuriating manner; when the only reason she got a lower mark is because she chose to answer the question in her way, not trying to please the teacher like he always does. Git.

"No, she's jealous," Fred says, a dangerous gleam in his eyes as he grins at her, "because he stole Albus away from her, isn't that right Rose?"

This is true as well; when they were in second year, Rose basically lost her best friend thanks to the blond and blue-eyed monster when him and Al became the best pals ever.

"Maybe Rose is in looove," Lucy smirks at her older cousin and moves out of the way when Rose attempts to slap the back of her head roughly.

"That doesn't even make any sense Luce," Hugo sighs in a she's-such-an-idiot way, rolling his eyes as his sister blushes furiously at the turn the already annoying conversation is taking. "Rose hates the guy's guts."

"They hate each other and then they realize they're in love," Molly speaks up, something she scarcely does nowadays, her red curls bouncing as she nods her head wisely. "I've read a similar scenario once. In Pride and Prejudice."

"Shut up Molls," Rose spits angrily, ignoring Fred's frown as she assaults his protégé. She doesn't often rant against Molly, but this is insulting, really.

"Oooh, touchy," Rox laughs in a low voice.

"Overly defensive perhaps?" James whispers not so discreetly, as everyone looks at her like she's finally been figured out and grin like her big secret's been discovered. She shakes her head in exasperation and gathers her books up in her arms, keeping her chin high as she rises from the table.

"You're idiots, all of you," is the only not-so-intelligent thing that comes to her mind and crosses her lips as she makes her way towards her common room, trying very hard to keep her dignity when she hears her cousins erupt in laughs behind her.

She doesn't love Scorpius; honestly, she doesn't even like him! Ok, it's true he's good looking, tall and muscular because he plays beater on the Quidditch team, with sandy blond hair and turquoise eyes that are much prettier than her father's colour. He's smart but too much of a know-it-all and a teacher's pet. He isn't nice either, although if he wasn't then there wouldn't be any reason for Albus to have chosen him as his best friend, now would there? But still, he always makes fun of her and looks down at her like he's superior or something. The guy is a git, she resolves, sitting in front of the flames on the common room couch; it's as simple as that.

But in fifth year, something changes.

History of Magic class is over and Rose leaves the room, in a hurry to get to the dungeons because she wants to ask the potions' master a question concerning the upcoming OWLs. She doesn't like the dungeons much; they're simply too creepy with the dark, slimy stuff on the walls and the lighting that doesn't light anything, really. When she gets there, she's annoyed to find the teacher's office empty and the classroom deserted, and turns to make her way back towards the Great Hall; only, someone is blocking her way to the stairs.

It's a dark haired boy with brown eyes; she recognizes him to be in Gryffindor, in James' year, but not one of her cousin's friends. In fact, isn't he the one James and Rox pulled a prank on a couple of days ago when he tried to steal the Marrauders' Map? She remembers her cousins boasting about the trick at dinner; they put a scorpion in his bed or something.

Oh, crap.

The guy smiles and twirls his wand in his hand menacingly.

"You're a Weasley, aren't you?" he asks, his smirk widening. "Well, that's just perfect."

He takes a step towards her and she reaches into the back pocket of her jeans pocket… only to realize that she must have left her wand in class since she was in such a hurry.

Uh oh.

There isn't anyone anywhere; it's time for dinner and students and teachers alike are already sitting in the Great Hall right now. She could run, but he's blocking her only exit. She could fight but wouldn't get much damage done without her wand or anything relatively heavy in hand.

He points his wand at her and she tenses, her brain whirling when she should act, not think. But she really can't help it and stays frozen as a remotely stupid thought crosses her mind.

_If I get out of this alive, I'm totally murdering James and Roxy_.

And then someone cries "Expelliarmus!" with such vehemence and force that instead of being disarmed like intended, the dark haired Gryffindor collapses at her feet, tongue hanging out of his mouth in a totally disgusting manner. Scorpius rushes towards her and takes her by the shoulders, shaking her.

"You okay Rose?"

She regains her senses and pushes him away, frowning.

"What are _you_ doing here?"

"Does it matter?" he asks, annoyed at her lack of emotion. "I just saved you from this scumbag!" he gives said-scumbag a kick in the gut to add to the disgust in his voice.

Rose squares her shoulder and stands taller, crossing her arms defiantly over her chest. "Who says I needed saving? I could've perfectly taken care of him without your help."

"Really? It sure didn't look like it from where I was standing."

"So what, did you follow me here? Are you some kind of a stalker or something?" she changes the subject abruptly, heat rising to her cheeks.

He stays silent for a few seconds, looking at her like he just can't believe her reaction and hands her her wand back.

"You forgot it," he says simply, and turns towards the stairs, before she calls angrily.

"Thanks for the intervention, Superman!" and when he doesn't answer, she yells louder, furious tears filling her eyes unexpectedly.

"Don't make me feel guilty, Scorpius! This isn't fair!"

Still no response. Rose locks herself in her dorm and cries in her pillow, cutting class for the rest of the day, furious and sad but unable to understand why.

The next day, he's sitting in the library and she comes and stands next to his table, hands curled into tight fists.

"I'm sorry," she tells him bluntly. "Thank you for helping me."

He raises his eyes to her and considers her coldly, barely acknowledging she spoke at all. That's harsh; doesn't he realize how hard it is for her to admit she was wrong before? Git.

"That's alright," he finally answers when she decides to leave him there. "I'll send you a pay-check later."

She stares at him with huge eyes. He has got to be joking.

And then he grins, and she can't help but find him really nice-looking when his entire face lights up and his eyes sparkle. She smiles back uncertainly. Scorpius Malfoy can joke and she's smiling along with him. How… unusual.

"I'll see you later, then?" she asks uncomfortably, wanting to get out of here as soon as possible, hoping she won't feel guilty and weird anymore now that he's forgiven her; that everything will go back to normal. He nods and turns back to his book, and she leaves the library, relieved.

But things don't go back to normal, because Scorpius Malfoy isn't a git anymore.

ooOoooOoooOoo

Two years later, it's New Year's Eve and they're both twirling effortlessly in the Great Hall among a crowd of faces and colourful dresses.

"I did mention how nice you looked, right?" Scorp whispers in her ear, tickling her and making her laugh.

"Twice." She smiles up at him as he tightens his arms around her. Albus waves at them from where he's dancing with Margaret Haven from Hufflepuff. Lily seems less shy as she holds some Gryffindor's hand and sips her butterbeer. Hugo trips over his own feet and almost topples over his date. Everything is alright in their small bubble of music and colour.

"Do you remember fifth year? When that big baboon almost took a shot at you?" Scorp whispers again, breaking the perfect illusion as he reminds her of a moment she would rather forget.

She nods against his chest, grimacing to herself.

"I'm glad I followed you then. Who knows what the guy would have done-"

"Scorp?" She interrupts quietly, and, as always, he stops dead in his tracks to listen to what she has to say.

"Rose?"

"Shut up and kiss me."

oOo

_**Merry (belated) Christmas to all of you!**_


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